The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-06-25


But there is one thing guess you have not
tried, and that is libel action"
"And don't want to ~ retorted the editor
'Even if 1 did, it would require capital
and that haven't got"
Require capitall Why, tell you, sir, a
libel action is capital. just look here, Mr.
Fripp. can show you how to run law
suit that'll be worth the thousand pounds
you are asking for, and more than that, and
won't cost you penny But its to be for
my benefit as much as yours. Therefore,
you need not hear any more unless you
like. Only say the word, and l take my
scheme round to old Sol Levy"
Now, Mr.. Solomon Levy, to whom Mr.
Walker referred, was the editor of that
hourishing financial journal, Harmon, and
between the two editors there existed, as
the American well knew, an internecine
feud. Mr.. Walkers last threat had there
fore, all the effect which that gentleman
expected. Fripp suddenly remembered
that politeness costs nothing, and requested
his visitor to explain his plan more fully.
THAT is soon done,n said Mr. Walker.
"The thing is simplicity itself. All you
have to do is to libel me in the Spectator ~
Libel you'll" exclaimed the astonished
editor.
Libel the Great Indian Remedy-it's the
same thing. bring my action against you
For obvious reasons, each of us conducts
his own case, and if we don't puff ourselV es
and the Spectator and the remedy on a
scale never before attempted, call me-
What about costsr' asked Fripp,
impressed in spite of himself by the idea.
costs won't come to much. No counsers
fees, you observe. AS for the rest, if you
win, you are all right. If you don't give
you beforehand any security you like for
the amount of your costs"
land suppose you recover damages9"
II sha'n't go for heavy damages-only
want to vindicate my character and clear
the reputation Of the remedy. But, in case
they give me a verdict, we can have an
agreement before we begin, which will
cover costs and damages, too, if you like,
so as to make you safe"
Fripp considered. He was fully alive to
the value of a sensational libel case, and
Mr.. Walkers plan seemed to offer all this
advantage, with minimum of risk and
cost. Besides this, he was growing desper-
ate under the failure of his venture, and
felt that he could afford to miss no chance
of bringing the Spectator before the public.
He therefore condescended to discuss the
proposal at some length, and before they
parted the two gentlemen had arrived at
pretty clear understanding
Within few weeks of the foregoing con-
versation, the attention of every one in the
kingdom who was likely to have money to
invest-especially country clergymen and
ladies of independent means-was directed
to the prospectus of the Watha Company,
limited. The object of this enterprise was
to purchase from Messrs. w alker Il Gutesch-
windel, of Chicago and London, all their
rights in the Great Indian Remedy. The
prospectus was eloquent on the world
famed virtues of the remedy, the secret of
which, it appeared, had been acquired by
Herr Guteschwindel at enormous cost and
personal danger, from the medicine men of
the great Choctaw tribe. Among the
directors were several peers whose names
were household words in the city, together
with officers of high rank in the army and
navy equally. known to fame. Altogether
the prospectus was a highly attractive
document, and was received with various
degrees of favor by those portions of the
press which interest themselves in such
matters.
There was one journal, however, which
selected the Watha Company for unmeas-
ured denunciation, and that journal was the
SPECTATOR. In article after article, and
after paragraph, DR.. Fripp de-
clared the promotion of the company to be
a fraud, and Silas p. Walker no better than
a swindler. The Great Indian Remedy, he
asserted, was filthy oconcocton likely to
kill quite as many people as it cured; the
testimonials were forgeries; the miraculous
cures were invented by Silas P. Walker.
As for the great Guteschwindel and his adj
among the Choctaws, the Doctor
held them up to derision, and even went so
far as to doubt whether the famous traveller
had ever existed in the flesh. All this was
very funny, and Fripp was highly gratifed
at the success Of his scheme when he found
that the circulation of the Spectator was
looking up. But it was a sort of thing
which no man who valued his reputation
not even a y-promoter-could sit
quiet under. No one was, therefore, in the
least surprised to hear that Mr. Silas p.
Walker had commenced an action against
the Spectator for libel.
The interval before the case came on for
trial was not neglected by either of the
parties to the action. So successful, in
fact, were they in drawing public atten-
ton to their dispute that when at last Mr..
Justice Llttleknapp and special jury took
their places to try Walker as. Fripp there
was every Indication in court of an impend-
ing cause ceiebre. The public galleries were
pretty full; the seats allotted to witnesses
were packed to suffocation with motley
crowd of every age, rank and nationality;
while, to the qualification of the sight
seers, several eminent ornaments of Church
and State were accommodated with seats
upon the bench.
No sooner was the case called on than
Silas p Walker was on his legs, and there
he remained for two or three hours. Those
who are curious to learn what he said may
do so in the files of the Spectator, where
(by agreement between the parties) the
trial was reported verbatim. Enough for
the present to say that, having described
Herr Guteschwindels great discovery, the
miraculous cures wrought by it, and the
origin of the libel, which he traced to I'M
scrupulous quacks, who saw their nostrums
threatened with extinction, Mr.. Walker
proceeded to call his witnesses. He would
begin, he said, with those who he knew
attended at some inconvenience. Accord
ingly, he called the Archbishop of Lam
beth, and, amid breathless interest, his
Grace was sworn on the bench-gaiters
and all
"What can the Archbishop prove in this
casel" asked Mr.. Justice Littleknapp, who,
on principle, always slept through the
opening speech, but woke up with marvel
Gus deXterity when the first witness was